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 eminent Divines of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries,' 1818. 'Discourses from Tracts and Treatises of eminent Divines,' 1821. 'Select Sermons by Thomas Wilson, Bishop of Sodor and Man,' and a volume of his own, 'Discourses on Protestantism,' 1829.

His poetical productions were for the most part circulated privately. After Bray's death his widow collected and published his 'Poetical Remains' (1859, 2 vols.), and also 'A Selection from the Sermons, General and Occasional, of Rev. E. A. Bray' (1860, 2 vols.) At one time he projected a history of his native town of Tavistock, and made considerable collections for it, but the undertaking was never completed. Many extracts from his journals describing the curiosities of Dartmoor and many of his poems are inserted in Mrs. Bray's 'Tamar and Tavy.' When she published her work on Switzerland she embodied with it many passages in the diary which her husband kept whilst on the tour.



BRAY, JOHN (fl. 1377), physician and botanist, received a pension of 100s. a year from William, earl of Salisbury, which was confirmed by Richard II. He wrote a list of herbs in Latin, French, and English, 'Synonyma de nominibus herbarum.' This manuscript was formerly part of the collection of F. Bernard; it is now in the Sloane Collection in the British Museum.



BRAY, REGINALD (d. 1503), statesman and architect, was the second son of Sir Richard Bray, one of the privy council to Henry VI, by his wife Joan Troughton. The father was of Eaton-Bray in Bedfordshire, and lies buried in the north aisle of Worcester cathedral; Leland speaks of him as having been, by the report of some, physician to Henry VI (Itinerary, 113 a). The son was born in the parish of St. John Bedwardine, near Worcester (, Worcestershire, ii. 309). He held the situation of receiver-general and steward of the household to Sir Henry Stafford, the second husband of Margaret, countess of Richmond (mother of the Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry VII), and he continued in her service during her subsequent marriage with Thomas, lord Stanley (afterwards Earl of Derby), by whom he was appointed a trustee for her dower of 600 marks per annum. In 1 Richard III (1483) he had a general pardon granted to him, probably for having taken part with Henry VI.

When the Duke of Buckingham had concerted with Morton, bishop of Ely (then his prisoner at Brecknock in Wales), the marriage of the Earl of Richmond with the Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV, and the earl's advancement to the throne, the bishop recommended Bray for the communication of the affair to the countess, telling the duke that he had an old friend who was in her service, a man sober, secret, and well witted, called Reginald Bray, whose prudent policy he had known to have compassed matters of great importance; and accordingly he wrote to Bray, then in Lancashire with the countess, to come to Brecknock with all speed. Bray readily obeyed the summons, entered heartily into the design, and was very active in carrying it into effect, having engaged Sir Giles Daubeney (afterwards Lord Daubeney), Sir John Cheney, Richard Guilford, and many other gentlemen of note, to take part with Henry (, Chronicle, f. 37). After the defeat of Richard III at Bosworth he became a great favourite with Henry VII, who liberally rewarded his services; and he retained the king's confidence until his death. He was created a knight of the Bath at the king's coronation, and afterwards a knight of the Garter. In the first year of the king's reign he had a grant of the constableship of the castle of Oakham in Rutland, and was appointed joint chief justice, with Lord Fitzwalter, of all the forests south of Trent, and chosen of the privy council. After this he was appointed high-treasurer and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster.

In 3 Henry VII he was appointed keeper of the parks of Guilford and Henley, with the manor of Claygate in Ash for life; and the year following, by letters patent dated at Maidstone 23 Dec. 1488, a commissioner for raising the quota of archers to be furnished by the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, and Middlesex for the relief of Brittany. By indenture dated 9 May 1492 he was retained to serve one whole year in parts beyond the seas, with twelve men of arms, including himself, each having his custrel (shield-bearer) and page, twenty-four half-lances, seventy-seven archers on horseback, and two hundred and thirty-one archers and twenty-four bill-men on foot; being at the same time made paymaster of the forces destined; for this expedition (, Fœdera, ed. 1711, xii. 480). On the king's intended journey to France, Sir Reginald was one of those in whom the king vested his estates belonging to the duchy of Lancaster for the purpose of